NTB to gain even more parking

Monday

Mar 17, 2014 at 12:01 AMMar 17, 2014 at 10:31 AM

A parking project in North Topsail Beach has gained 20 more parking spaces.

A parking project in North Topsail Beach has gained 20 more parking spaces.

The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen approved increasing the River Road Parking Project from 30 parking spaces to 50 during its March 6 meeting, according to information acquired by The Daily News.

A $274,860 grant was awarded in January to pay for 30 parking spaces.

North Topsail Beach was awarded the public access grant through the North Carolina Coastal Management Program. The money will be used to help the town acquire land and create parking spaces at Onslow County Beach Access No. 3, which currently includes about three acres and 500 feet of beach front on the New River Inlet.

During Thursday’s meeting, the board also approved taking $826,520 from the beach fund balance to be used to create the additional parking.

Town Clerk Carin Faulkner said the town is also looking for grants.

The access currently can only be accessed by four-wheel drive vehicles; and the nearest public parking lot is at beach access No. 1, which is about 1.6 miles south of the proposed parking area.

The town plans to have construction complete by summer.

“We do have a lot of visitors and they started parking in the neighborhood areas and really in people’s yards almost,” Faulkner said. “So the property owners are going to be happier to see more parking and the people off of their streets, the side streets and cul-de-sacs were where people started going.”

Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at amanda.hickey@jdnews.com .